


Aisling Rose Estelle

by Vanessa_Cocotea



Series: The Liebestraum Trilogy [3]
Category: Doctor Who: Eighth Doctor Adventures - Various Authors
Genre: F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-15
Updated: 2015-02-15
Packaged: 2018-03-13 03:38:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3366341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vanessa_Cocotea/pseuds/Vanessa_Cocotea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>From 2006:</p><p>The third story in my Liebestraum trilogy:</p><p>All that "activity" during the birthday celebration Sam had given him last year, had obviously produced the desired result. And they both couldn't have been happier!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Aisling Rose Estelle

The vortex howled outside the TARDIS, just as inside her library, winds of a different nature howled. They were the winds of the Hundred Acre Wood. The Doctor was reading "Winnie-the-Pooh and the Blustery Day" aloud. Sam sat opposite, listening. In her arms, someone else listened as well, quietly having her tea. The story was accompanied by the gentle sounds of "Le Cygne".

The Doctor watched as Sam transferred the month-old Aisling to her right breast. He'd always wondered if he'd have a child during this incarnation. He'd been a step-father, as it were, to the children of his fifth incarnation and had thoroughly enjoyed it. But this, his eighth self, loved children more than any of his earlier selves, and he'd really wanted one of his own - so to speak. He laughed to himself. He needn't have worried. All that "activity" during the birthday celebration Sam had given him last year, had obviously produced the desired result. And they both couldn't have been happier!

Once they'd known Sam was pregnant, they'd spent sometime discussing the ins and outs of another child "being part human on her mother's side". They'd agreed straightaway that her life would be a mix of her Gallifreyan and Earthly heritages. It would be unfair to all three of them, were it to be all one or the other. Both heritages needed to respected. And the Doctor was adamant that the Time Lords were not going to bully him into any particular lifestyle for his daughter. He was well experienced at renouncing them and would readily do so again, if necessary, to do what was right for his child.

Sam was equally adamant that her child would not be trotted off to the local comprehensive and subjected to the standard excuse for education. One that left her fit for nothing but "nine-to-five". With all the educational options available, they'd find one far more suitable, one that would prepare her for a far better life. A child's education was too valuable a possession, and it wasn't right to use a certain form of education, just because it was the done thing. They had opportunities few parents had. With the TARDIS, the options for a lifestyle and education were, quite literally, limitless.

*******

"Easy, Sam, easy." The Doctor held his hands under the water of the Pamper Room's hot tub, waiting for the baby to emerge. Sam grasped the side of the tub and moaned. Giving birth underwater was supposed to be easier and better for both mother and baby. She had to admit it wasn't as painful as she had feared. Which was not to say, it didn't hurt like hell, just that it wasn't as excruciating as she had thought it would be. It was also a whole lot easier without the encumbrance of clothes - for her or the Doctor. She'd been in the water for forty minutes. If this went on much longer, their baby was going to have a prune for a mum, she mused. Between contractions, she rested and murmured soothing things to her about-to-be-born child. "Come on, baby. Come on. Mummy's anxious to see you." "Daddy, too." The Doctor smiled. Sam grinned, cheekily, "But Mummy's got her first meal." "Touche'!" He grinned back. Sam moaned through another contraction. She was grateful for the soft lighting, the hot - but no too hot, water and the soft music. Of course, they'd chosen "Moonlight Sonata". That was the piece which had started the whole thing. Sam realised that she had started something of a "family tradition". She herself had been created to the sounds of "Moonlight Sonata" - though not in a hot tub - and certainly NOT in a semi-sentient spacecraft! The TARDIS had the room wonderfully warm as well.

Suddenly, the Doctor exclaimed excitedly, in a stage whisper, "She's coming! She's coming! Push, Sam! Push!" "What the bloody hell do you think I've been doing for the past forty minutes, you cad, you!" The Doctor pretended to be hurt at being referred to as a cad, but couldn't manage it. Instead, he grinned very cheekily at her, and said, "Women in childbirth say the darnedest things!" Sam tried to stick her tongue out at him, but one hell of a contraction prevented her and she howled! She gave a big push and the baby's head emerged. One more tremendous push and a final howl from Sam - and their new daughter was in her Daddy's hands. He gently syringed her nose to give her a nice clean first breath, gave her a kiss, a gentle hug, and said, with joyful tears in his eyes, "Hello, my little Love!" He placed her on Sam's tummy, kissed the tearful new mother, and said, "She's perfect! Thank you, Sam! Thank you!" "Thank you, Doctor!" To her new daughter, she smiled and said, "Welcome, Sweetie!" Then she leant down and kissed her baby. The placenta was dealt with, and Sam just lay resting in the hot water, cuddling her baby close to her. And just like she'd read about, her little girl found her left breast, and though only minutes old, started to nurse. Her parents started crying all over again at the beautiful sight! The little one was too busy enjoying her first meal and being exhausted, just like her mum, to notice. The Doctor and Sam kissed and said, "I love you!" They looked at their new daughter. She got another kiss and a heartfelt, "I love you!", from both parents. She responded by yawning and promptly falling asleep. They laughed.

They'd chosen her name almost immediately after Sam knew she was pregnant. The Doctor had told her about Aisling of Gallifrey on her birthday. So they had named their daughter, "Aisling". It was pronounced, "Ahsh-ling". Not, "Ash-ling" or "Ice-ling" or "Eyes-ling", but "Ahsh-ling". It was also of Celtic origin and as Sam had found out, meant, "Dream" or "Vision". As soon as Sam had heard it, she fell in love with the name. So "Aisling", it was. Her middle names were to be "Rose" - "Love" in the Victorian language of flowers, and "Estelle" - meaning "Star". Perfect for a little girl born in a spacecraft and quite possibly created during the song "Liebestraum". "Liebestraum" - "Love's Dream"-"Dream of Love". Her name roughly translated into "Dream of Love from the Stars". It couldn't get more perfect than that.

The Doctor slid over beside Sam and put his arm round her. Sam smiled and little Aisling, who'd woken up, looked in their direction. Sam said, "Do you know what would be nice?" "What?" "It would be lovely if you sang to her. Something really sweet. How 'bout it?" The Doctor smiled and started to sing, "The very thought of you and I forget to do, the little ordinary things that everyone ought to do..." His voice was soft and tender. Sam leant her head on his shoulder and the baby listened peacefully for a bit, before drifting off to sleep again.

********

It was a few hours later, and Sam was resting on a chaise longue the Doctor had moved into the Console Room. Aisling slept beside her mummy, in a cradle made by her daddy. The TARDIS hummed away. The Doctor was looking at something embedded in the polished wood console. He was hoping the TARDIS would be willing to tell him something about his daughter's life. Not everything, though, that wouldn't be right, but just enough to reassure him that he and Sam had done the right thing. His hearts told him they had and Sam certainly seemed to think they'd done the right thing. He just wanted to get an idea of what lay ahead. He glanced over to Sam. She was sleeping. Good. He looked at the tiny screen and silently asked the TARDIS to show him something of the future. The TARDIS sighed and started the images.

He saw the three of them on many worlds, in his house in Kent on Earth, on Gallifrey. He saw them enjoying themselves in exotic markets on alien planets. He saw them talking to the High Council on Gallifrey. He saw them living on alien worlds where Sam and Aisling were joining in numerous causes. He saw them cowering in a cave, Sam clutching her infant daughter to her for protection while alien monsters roared outside and alien warriors fought wars. He stood near the cave entrance on guard. That image terrified him, but as it took place early on, and as there were later images of the three of them together, he was at least reassured they survived that episode. He saw them climbing hills on a mountainous world with Aisling on Sam's back and him carrying their supply rucksacks. He saw holidays and ordinary days. He saw good times and bad. But through it all, the overwhelming sensation was one of "YES!" He outright asked the TARDIS if this meant they were right. She whispered,"Yes". That was enough for him. He wondered what Sam imagined their daughter's life would be like...

********

Sam was dreaming...with a little help from the TARDIS. She was climbing a mountain with Aisling on her back. She'd just insisted on taking her from the Doctor. It was his turn to carry the rucksacks. They were exploring on a world with a limited humanoid population - or so she thought. They'd been enjoying the clean clear air, which was surprisingly breathable, when they heard what sounded like a combination of explosives and horrific animal roars. Aisling started to cry. They ran for cover. It was a treacherous journey down the mountainside to some caves the Doctor spotted. He had the most amazing eyesight. Still, it was a good four hundred metres down the rocky slope. The Doctor held tight to Sam's hand and six-month-old Aisling whimpered in the baby carrier on Sam's back. The terrible noises were relentless. It seemed that a war had just started. The animals were presumably being used as transport - and not liking it one bit! Neither did the three travellers. The ground shook and the Doctor frantically grasped a branch - just in time to stop them falling. There were scratches on his hand, but it mattered not in the least. Shelter was all that mattered. It took another fifteen minutes to cover the last twenty metres due to the shaking ground and the rocky terrain. Breathless, they nearly fell into the cave. Sam and the Doctor both crumpled to sit on the cool floor of the cave. Wearily, the Doctor took Aisling's carrier off Sam's back. Sam took her baby out, shakily cradled her and let her nurse. That helped quieten and soothe the child. The Doctor went to sit on a rock platform just inside the entrance. They were all exhausted. Sam whimpered in her sleep and tossed and turned. Their holiday had taken a dangerous turn...

Sam's dreams turned in a different direction. She saw herself and the Doctor at some sort of award ceremony in an unknown culture. She couldn't see Aisling. Then her attention was directed to the front of the chamber. Some sort of official began a speech in his native language, which neither Sam nor the Doctor had any trouble understanding - the Doctor's famous Time Lord gift. The speech commemorated the heroic behaviour of a very special young lady, who had rescued a child who had become trapped, in an earthquake under a cupboard during hospital collapse. Gas had started to seep into the area where the child was trapped. Twelve-year-old Aisling, using the respiratory bypass system inherited from her father, had been the only one small enough to get in quickly enough to save the tiny child. When her name was called, her parents watching in pride, she walked onstage to receive her award and the gratitude of the parents of the child she had rescued. Sam smiled in her sleep at the happy moment.

********

The Doctor smiled, pleased that Sam was obviously being shown something good. But what he wanted to know was his daughter's physical make-up. Sighing, the TARDIS gave in. She'd erase the things she'd shown from their memories later and just leave them with a sense they'd done the right thing...because she knew they had.

She would have Sam's blonde hair, the beautiful blue eyes he and Sam shared, the Doctor's two hearts, his need for little or no sleep, his recovery powers, Sam's particular spirit of adventure, and her human lifespan. Aisling would not regenerate. Though she would live a long and happy life, it would be of human duration. And the TARDIS told him that he would outlive her while still in his current incarnation. That was a mixed blessing. Whilst no one wants to outlive his or her child, he was glad she would at least have a long and happy human life. The TARDIS would tell him no more. He debated on how much to tell Sam. That partly depended on exactly what she discovered from her dreams and how much she wanted to know - if anything, other than what her dreams had told her.

********

Sam awoke not long after the Doctor had received their daughter's physical description. She looked dazed and amazed by turns. Neither had received a lot of information about their daughter's life, just enough to reassure them they'd definitely done the right thing. They knew they would have much to be proud of in their daughter. They traded notes. But Sam didn't want to know about which part of her daughter was Human and which was Gallifreyan. She wanted to discover that when nature said it was time.

"Fair enough." The Doctor said, smiling. "It doesn't do to know too much. That's why the TARDIS just gave us a random sample of events." He chuckled. "She knew our curiosity would never withstand not knowing anything!"

Sam giggled. "She's right. Under the circumstances, I would have gone mad not at least having a hint of her life. But a hint is enough. Now I'm ready to let nature take its course."

"Good." The Doctor looked fondly at her. "That's my Sam. Now, are you hungry? What would the new mother like for supper?"

********

It was the beginning of December and the Doctor was irritated. The Time Lords, in their annoying way, had heard of Aisling's birth. He and Sam would be expected to return to Gallifrey as soon as possible to discuss her life's direction with the High Council. He intended to disobey them - at least for awhile. He was certain the TARDIS would help prevent the Time Lords commandeering the ship and forcing the three of them to Gallifrey. He was indeed very annoyed. They hadn't, as yet, even visited Sam's parents in Shoreditch to introduce them to their first grandchild. He would fight going to Gallifrey for as long as he could. Sam had complete trust in him. She had even started to decorate the Console Room for Christmas.

Sam had wheeled out the enormous old-fashioned curved library steps to help her reach the upper branches of the Christmas tree. The tree itself was enormous, reaching to the edge of the domed ceiling. Aisling's cradle was nearby in front of the bookshelves. Sam had placed a small table near her on which rested a box of ornaments. The Doctor was shanghaied, quite willingly actually, into placing fairy lights round the edge of the domed ceiling. He was on a conventional style ladder. The TARDIS played a variety of Christmas music. It was quite an enjoyable time. The TARDIS was starting to look like a fairyland. Very romantic. Even more so than usual, that is.

Two-month-old Aisling woke up~hungry. Sam smiled and climbed down. She picked up her baby, murmured soothing things to her, sat down in the cherry wood rocker and began to nurse. The Doctor took over the tree decorations. Sam rocked very gently while Aisling suckled, breathing in Sam's vanilla rose perfume. The little girl seemed fascinated by the lights and sparkly decorations. Sam wondered just how much she could actually see clearly. She certainly saw something she liked very well, because when Sam went to put her back in her cradle to sleep, she started to cry. She seemed to only want to be held upright in front of the tree, at which she gurgled in delight. Sam debated whether or not to get the infant seat out and put Aisling into it, so she could enjoy the lights, but as fascinated as she appeared to be, everyone would be up all night. Not good. The Doctor climbed off the library steps.

"Here, let me take her. I'll see if I can sing her to sleep." Sam passed her over.

"If she stays awake during that, I give up." Sam grinned.

The Doctor gave her a teasing look as he sat in the rocker and Sam went back to the decorating. "Are you suggesting my singing is boring?" He grinned at her.

She gave him a "real cute" sort of look. "Not boring. Soothing. You know that's what I meant."

"Yes, I know." He cradled Aisling in his arms, started to slowly rock and sing. He sang a song a acquaintance of his had recorded and done very well. It was a beautiful piece and never failed to sooth little Aisling to sleep. It was one of Sam's favourite pieces as well.

"I wish that I could write a sonnet..." The Doctor's soft velvet voice filled the console room. Even the TARDIS herself seemed to listen. By the end of the song, Aisling was fast asleep and contently sucking her thumb. He gently placed her in her cradle. He hugged Sam while they watched their little girl peacefully sleep.

Christmas was coming and the Doctor was thinking that he already had the two best presents anyone could ask for. He though of the musical boxes he'd made to give Aisling and Sam for Christmas. They each played three of his and Sam's favourite pieces - "Liebestraum", "Moonlight Sonata" and "Le Cygne". He sighed happily. Christmas was indeed coming and the Time Lords could wait.

The End

**Author's Note:**

> Rose has always been a well-loved scent of mine. My proper mother, not my foster mother, wore it. She was always very fond of the name as well. I've loved the scent all my life and chose it - and "Estelle", simply because the meanings were so perfect for a daughter of the Eighth Doctor and Sam.


End file.
